Justice: When Hayes out, problems arise for Rockets

COMMENTARY

Published 6:30 am, Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Rockets forward Carl Landry is fouled as he runs into Suns center Channing Frye during the fourth quarter.

Rockets forward Carl Landry is fouled as he runs into Suns center Channing Frye during the fourth quarter.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Chronicle

Justice: When Hayes out, problems arise for Rockets

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

The Rockets played with their usual heart, energy and unselfishness. Those things may be their trademark.

They can beat almost any team when they're perfect. That is, when the perimeter shots are falling, everyone contributes and the lack of size isn't exposed.

This was one of those nights that reminded the Rockets what they don't have and that there are going to be occasions when teamwork and passion can't overcome size and strength.

The Rockets have known this fact since the first day of training camp. They held out hope Joey Dorsey would emerge as a contributor around the basket, but that hasn't happened.

So Rockets general manager Daryl Morey spends a lot of time attempting to add a big body, or at least a bigger body.

Chuck Hayes has done a terrific job. But on nights when he gets into foul trouble, the Rockets have no place to turn. That lack of size and some stumbling and bumbling down the stretch were the biggest factors in a 111-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night at Toyota Center.

This was a terrific game in which both teams played hard and slugged away at each other. There were 18 lead changes and eight ties in another game in which the Rockets didn't back down.

Margin for error small

But when Hayes was out of the game, the Rockets lost something no one else could replace. That's when the Suns began feeding the ball inside to Amar'e Stoudemire, who finished with 23 points.

“You have to take advantage of your mismatches,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said, “and we felt we had a big one with Amar'e.”

The Rockets got a career-high 27 points from Carl Landry and a workmanlike 32 minutes from Luis Scola. The Rockets can win a game like this only if they can keep scoring. But the bench group that had been so good against the Lakers on Sunday didn't have the same production.

Chase Budinger and David Andersen were a combined 5-of-14. When the outside shots aren't falling, the Rockets can't win. They shot 32 percent in the fourth quarter. That's when Steve Nash took over with eight points and three assists, and the Suns pulled away.

“We let them back in after the first half,” Trevor Ariza said, “and they executed better than us down the stretch.”

At some point over the next few weeks, Morey likely will acquire someone to fill the hole behind Hayes, and the Rockets will get better. But their margin for error is still small.

When things break down on the offensive end, there's not going to be Yao Ming to take the last shot. Tracy McGrady's return will change this picture, but it won't make up for a lack of size.

All of this is nitpicking. This team has played far better than any of us could have imagined, and even on a night when they didn't win, they were thoroughly entertaining.

Phoenix is off to a 10-2 start because Nash still has game, Stoudemire is healthy and the Suns have depth and speed.

‘This is a youth loss'

Nash was a joy to watch on a night when he didn't score until the seven-minute mark of the third quarter. He was just 2-of-10 from the field, but it was a clinic of a 2-for-10 because it included 16 assists and three rebounds.

“That's Nash,” coach Rick Adelman said. “He did a great job and spaced the court. They have two guys (Nash and Stoudemire) that you really have to worry about.”

Adelman's team did some growing and learning. That's the fascinating part of this season. Aaron Brooks already has emerged as an impact player, and Budinger has been tremendous. As the season grinds on, others will emerge.

“This is a youth loss,” Shane Battier said. “We are still in the emerging stages. We are trying to figure out what's good for us, especially down the stretch.”

On opening night, it was hard to imagine the Rockets being even a .500 team. Now, though, with every night like this one, as they pick up improbable victories over the Lakers, Jazz and Blazers, more seems possible.

“We can take some good lessons from this game,” Scola said. “I think we were right there. It's a good game for us to learn.”